Background and Goals
Mastitis remains one of the most prevalent and economically significant diseases in dairy cattle, leading to reduced milk yield, poor milk quality, and increased culling rates. Chronic mastitis poses additional challenges due to its persistent nature and reduced response to conventional therapy. The goal of this case study is to document the clinical management of a dairy cow with chronic mastitis, highlighting diagnostic methods, treatment strategies, and outcomes. This contributes to improved understanding of field-level interventions for mastitis management.
Materials and Methods
- Animal Details: A 5-year-old Holstein-Friesian crossbred cow, third lactation, presented with reduced milk yield, udder induration, and recurrent episodes of mastitis in the left hind quarter.
- Clinical Examination: Physical palpation of the udder, California Mastitis Test (CMT), and bacteriological culture of milk samples were performed.
- Diagnosis: CMT was strongly positive (+++), and culture revealed Staphylococcus aureus, confirming chronic mastitis.
- Treatment Protocol:
- Intramammary infusion of a combination antibiotic (cloxacillin + ampicillin) for 3 consecutive days.
- Systemic antibiotic therapy using enrofloxacin @ 5 mg/kg IM for 5 days.
- Anti-inflammatory support with meloxicam @ 0.5 mg/kg for 3 days.
- Udder massage with herbal liniment and hot fomentation twice daily.
- Supportive therapy with vitamin E and selenium supplementation.
Results
After 10 days of treatment, udder swelling had reduced significantly, milk consistency had improved, and the CMT score had decreased to weak positive (+). Follow-up after one month showed no recurrence of clinical signs, though the affected quarter yielded slightly less milk compared to unaffected quarters. The case demonstrated partial recovery of production potential and complete clinical recovery.
Conclusion
Chronic mastitis management requires integrated use of diagnostics, targeted intramammary and systemic antibiotic therapy, and supportive care. Early intervention, regular monitoring, and adherence to proper milking hygiene are crucial for controlling chronic mastitis cases. This case highlights that while production loss may persist, clinical cure and herd-level control are achievable.
Keywords
Mastitis, Chronic mastitis, Dairy cattle, Intramammary therapy, Staphylococcus aureus, Case report
References
- Radostits, O. M., Gay, C. C., Hinchcliff, K. W., & Constable, P. D. (2007). Veterinary Medicine: A textbook of the diseases of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses. 10th Edition. Saunders Elsevier.
- Sharma, N., Singh, N. K., & Bhadwal, M. S. (2011). Relationship of somatic cell count and mastitis: An overview. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 24(3), 429–438.
- Bradley, A. J. (2002). Bovine mastitis: An evolving disease. The Veterinary Journal, 164(2), 116–128.
Copyright
This case study is adapted from the article “Treatment of Chronic Mastitis in a Dairy Cow: A Case Report” by Ijaz, M., Mehmood, K., Durrani, A. Z., Sabir, A. J., Abbas, T., & Ali, S., published in Global Veterinaria (2014, Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 01–04). The original work is copyrighted by IDOSI Publications (2014) under the terms of their publication. All rights remain with the original authors and the publisher.
Disclaimer
This lesson paraphrases and adapts content from the original case report by Ijaz et al. (2014). All rights to the original publication are reserved by the authors and Global Veterinaria. This material is intended solely for educational and teaching purposes. Any commercial use or reproduction of the original work without permission is prohibited. For full details, please refer to the original paper:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323412971_Treatment_of_Chronic_Mastitis_in_a_Dairy_Cow_A_Case_Report_Treatment_of_Chronic_Mastitis_in_a_Dairy_Cow_A_Case_Report.
